I am a salafee and alhamdulilah have been studying the manhaj and the aqeeda of the salaf us salih....but recently iv been confused there have been salafi brothers/sisters who say that say you dont have to call yourself a salafi and who claim that the major scholars of today agree with this matter which include sheikh salih al fawzan hafidullah??

Although im not confused about the salafi manhaj....i am confused about whether its permissable to call your self a salafi.

Shaikh Yahya An Najmee Mufti of Jaizan (south of Saudi Arabia) was asked :" Some youths run away from saying "I am Salafi" what is your advice on this matter?"

The Shaikh answered "Why do they run away from that? Do they think Salafeeyah is incorrect in any way? It is only an ascription to what the companions of the Prophet were upon and those who followed them from the scholars, jurists, scholars of hadeeth, and scholars of tafseer; those who are known for their correct belief in every time and place. Those who follow the truth i.e the book of Allah and the authentic sunnah of the Prophet upon the understanding of the companions! So is this ascription to these people incorrect in any way to the point that one runs away from it? To Allah we come from and to Allah we return. As for the one who follows the way of the salaf and says I am Salafi inshallah Allah we hope for him good. As for the one who runs away from this ascription maybe he/she may be punished for it.

This shubhah that you do not have to (or can not) call yourself a Salafi is much spread by the Qutubiyyoon (specially Salman Al-'Awdah's followers). I myself have heard it many times and even have the displeasure of hearing an ignorant qutubiyyah claiming that "nobody calls himself a Salafi in Sa'oodiyyah, this is something that happens only here in Brazil". Needless to say, a ridiculous affirmation.

I think the following links may clarify the issue to you, barakAllahu fiki:

Who are the Pious predecessors Salaf us-Saalih? Translated by Abdulilah Lahmami

Allaah the Exalted says:

وَالسّابِقُونَ الأوّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالأنْصَارِ وَالّذِينَ اتّبَعُوهُم بِإِحْسَانٍ رّضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُواْ عَنْهُ "The first to embrace Islam from the Emigrants (Muhaajiroon) and the Helpers (Ansaar) and those that follow them upon righteousness, Allaah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him." 1

This verse shows that the Salaf are the Companions of the Messenger .

The first to embrace Islam (Saabiqoon) does not refer to a group amongst the companions. It refers to all of them. So the Salaf are the companions and those that followed them upon righteousness as the verse mentions.

"Whoever goes against the Messenger after the proof has been given and follows a path other than the way of the believers We shall land him in the fire, what an evil abode." 2

Abu Moosaa al-Ashýaree said that the Messenger of Allaah salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam: "The stars are a guidance on the sky so if the stars go then what will befall it will happen. And I am a guide to my companions so if I go then what will befall my companions will happen and the companions are a guide for my Ummah and if they go then what will befall it will happen." 3

The Prophet salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "My Islamic nation will split into seventy three sect, all will be in the fire except one." They said, "which one is it Oh Messenger of Allaah?" He salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "That which I and my companions are upon." 4

The Messenger salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said (after being asked who the saved sect was): "It is the Jamaaýah." 5

The Messenger salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "There will not cease to be a group from amongst my Ummah being upright with the command of Allaah, not being harmed by those that oppose them nor from those that differ from them until the Command of Allaah is brought forward and they are upon that." 6

Imam Auzzaee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, ýBe patient upon the Sunnah and stop where the people (Companions) stopped and say with what they said and keep silent with what they kept silent over. Take the path of the pious predecessors for what is sufficient for them is sufficient for you.ý 7

Abu Waaqid al-Laythee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "We were sitting in the company of the Messenger of Allaah salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam. So he salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: ýIndeed it will become a fitnah.ý The Companions did not pay attention so Muýaadh Ibn Jabal (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: 'Do you not listen to the Messenger of Allaah?ý They said: ýWhat did he say?ý Muýaadh then repeated to them what he salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said. So they in turn said: ýWhat is the way out of it, Oh Messenger of Allaah salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam?ý He salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: ýYou should return to your original state of affairs.ý" 8

Sheikh Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, ýThere is no shame upon the one who shows the methodology of the Salaf and ascribes and relates to it, rather it is obligatory to accept that from him by agreement for the methodology of the Salaf will not be except truth.ý 9

Sheikh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-'Uthaimeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, "Ahlu Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah, they are the salaf in their belief, even the ones who come later until the Day of Judgement. If one is upon the way of the Messenger salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam and his companions then he is Salafi." 10

Sheikh al-Albaani rahimahullaah has a tape called ana Salafi - I am salafi where he rahimahullaah refutes the doubts of those who refuse to ascribe to this blessed path. They ascribe to their countries without hesitance by saying ana Britani, Saudi, Magrabi Amreeki etc. The yaa is called yaa nisba which is ascription or belonging to. So you are ascribing to the best way and i asked Sheikh ibn Uthaimeen rahimahullaah personally in Hajj about 10 years ago and the only thing he was against was that the person feels he is saved but rather this ascription should humble a person to worship Allaah more adhering to the understanding of the companions for actions are but by their end results (as in the authentic hadeeth) and a person maybe an arms length from paradise but what was written for him overcomes him and he ends up from the people of the hell-fire. We ask Allaah to protect us, forgive us our sins and guide the people back to this blessed da'wah to be always with the righteous in this life and make us from the people of paradise. Ameen

Recently Yusuf Estes got it all wrong when he said salaf means righteous dead people and salafi he said means your calling yourself a righteous dead person and that al-AlBaani rahimahullaah is the one who innovated this! Allaahumusta'aan. Rather salaf refers to the predecessors who came before us. saalih refers to the righteous amongst them so salafi is an ascription to the best people, the companions, successors and their successors.

The Ulama have used this in the books such as in Seer 'alaam an-Nubalaa of Imam Dhahabi rahimahullaa who mentioned about Abdullaah ibn Mubarak that he is salafi and other than him.

It is a must in this time to call yourself salafi and adhere to this methodology and why is it that the innovators are not shy to call themselves Tableeghi, Ikhwaani, etc even though they are upon baatil but how is it that you have the truth and yet shy away from it and ascribing to it.

For verily many people who claim they are Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaaýah and that they are upon guidance, detest ascribing to Salafiyyah. And so that their hearts are comfortable with this ascription, and by this, I mean the ascription to Salafiyyah, and their resolution becomes firm and that which has fallen into their hearts; this dislike (of ascribing to Salafiyyah), it is a whispering from the Devil. And this was solidified in their hearts due to weak resolution and limited understanding in the deen. And if their determination was firm and strong, and they had gathered strong understanding of the Religion, then they would not dislike this ascription to Salafiyyah. And they would not find any objection to this. Then I say to them,

Firstly, There comes in ahaadeeth of the Messenger of Allah salallahu ýalaihi wa salam, that which establishes this. From them is the saying of the Prophet, alaihis salaatu was salaam to his daughter Faatimah: "How excellent a Salaf I am for you!"

And secondly, this ascription is not something new, rather it is from the time of the Companions, so it is said about them, that they are the Salaf. And the word 'Salaf' is something common with the Imaams of this Religion, and the people of the Sunnah and the Jamaaýah, and this is clarified further, by the consensus (ijmaa') upon the correctness of ascribing to Salafiyyah and that there is no objection to this.

Listen to this ijmaa' being reported by Shaykhul Islaam ibn Taymiyyah rahimahullahu ta'ala, when he said:

"There is no criticism for the one who proclaims the way of the Salaf, who attaches himself to it, and refers to it, rather it is obligatory to accept that with unanimous agreement(Ijmaa')" to the end of his statement: as the way of the Salaf is nothing but the truth". Return to it if you desire, page 149 from the 4th volume of Majmoo' al Fataawa.

And ibn Taymiyyah is an outstanding authority of our methodology and he is one whom it has been testified concerning him, that he has great standing and likewise he is one who has preceded in excellence. He is reporting to us, this Ijmaa (concensus)'. And who is ibnu Taymiyyah when he reports Ijmaaý? Surely he is a hujjah(proof) when he reports an ijmaaý. And along with this, know that very few of people of knowledge, their statements are relied upon when they quote al ijmaaý.

So O youth of al-Islaam specifically, and O Muslims generally, Donýt let there be any dislike in your chest in ascribing to Salafiyyah. Rather raise your heads by this, and openly proclaim it. And do not let the blame of the blamers overtake you. And I will add one more thing; Shaykhul Islaam ibn Taymiyyah, in the previous reference point, I think it was page 115, he said, from the signs of the People of Innovation is leaving off the ascription to the Salaf us Salih.

You will not find a khalafee, especially those who are linked to the newly formed Islamic groups that are present in this time, those who are at war with Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah except that they hate as-Salafiyyah and ascribing to Salafiyyah. Salafiyyah is not only an ascription but it is directing completely one's ikhlas (sincerity) towards Allaah, subhaanahu wa taýaala and singling out the Prophet salallahu ýalaihi wa salam to be followed only."

So, the people, O my children, are of two groups: The party of Ar-Rahmaan and the party of Ash Shaytaan. So the party of the Devil are the disbelievers and the hypocrites, with the hypocrisy of belief. And the party of Ar-Rahmaan are the Muslims, those who do not commit any actions that will cause them to totally leave the realm of Imaan. And the best of the party of Ar-Rahmaan are those who do not misguide, and are not misguided. Those who proceed and take the path of guidance and truth at any time, and any place and they do not unite upon misguidance. And they are the Salafees, they are Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaaýah, they are the Firqatun Najiyah (Saved sect) and the Taifatul Mansoorah (Victorious group).

The question: When this person begins Ruqiyah (reciting Qur'aan upon a person as a form of treatment) he says: 'I am a Sunni and I am not a Salafi.'

The Shaykh Answered: 'As for the saying: 'I am a Sunni and I am not a Salafi.' Then this statement is contradictory!

The Sunni O you Miskeen (impoverished person) is the Salafi, and the Salafi is the Sunni. Whoever distinguishes between the two then he has distinguished between two things which resemble each other; so the Salaf are the Ahl-ul-Sunnah and the Salafeeyoon are the followers of the Sunnah, and whoever absolves himself from that then he is not a Sunni nor a Salafi!

Just because some of the people claim Salafeeyah and they do not actually exemplify it, then this does not allow you to free yourself from Salafeeyah, rather it is obligatory upon you to honour yourself by ascribing yourself to the Salaf and to the Manhaj of the Salaf, since indeed ascription to that is obligatory.

Ahl-ul-Sunnah, the Salaf, the followers of the Salaf, the Firqat an-Najjeeyah, the Taifat-ul-Mansoorah, the Jamaa'ah, the Salafi and the Sunni, all of these mean one title: and they are the Jamaa'ah, and they are similar to those whom were upon what the Prophet -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam- and his Companions were upon.

So be a serious Salafi - be a serious Salafi, just like the Salaf used to say - a Salafi ascribing to the Manhaj of the Salaf in sayings, actions and belief.

And I believe that whoever brags with this type of talk ('I am a Sunni and I am not a Salafi.') is very far from the Manhaj of the Sunni which is the Manhaj of the Salaf.

May Allaah give everyone the capability to obtain beneficial knowledge and righteous actions. May Allaah send prayers, peace and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his Family and all his Companions.'

[Taken from the Shaykh's lesson from the 'Explanation of 'an-Nasihah al-Waladeeyah liAbee al-Waleed al-Bajee Rahimullaah-' end of tape one.] Translation source: Yesterday's Email of Br. Abbas Abu Yahya on West London Dawah yahoogroup.

Sheikh Dr. Muhammad Baazmool hafidhahullah replies to the question "Do I have to ascribe to Salafiyyah?" [url=http://www.bakkah.net/interactive/q&a/aamb040.htm]here[/url]. The Shaykh also touches on the misconception of the questioner who was trying to differentiate between a Sunni and a Salafi.

Please click [url=http://video.albaseerah.com/2010/01/shaykh-muhammad-ibn-rabee-al-madkhalee.html]here[/url] to see a video of Br. Abu Uwais rahimahullah reading from a book of [url=http://www.sahab.net/forums/member.php?u=8454]Sheikh Dr. Muhammad ibn Rabee' ibn Haadi al-Madkhalee hafidhahullah[/url] which also refutes those who have no problem in calling themselves Sunnee but shy away from calling themselves Salafee.